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23/01/2016

The reality of getting your home ready to sell

Our current house, as nice as it is, is not a home to us and was never going to be, we bought it as a smaller project unlike the full renovation before that and we always knew we wouldn't stay more than 2-3 years in it and now it's very much time for us to move on. There are many great positives to our current property mainly being large living room and a very spacious kitchen diner with french doors to a good sized garden but it's simply not "us", we bought it as an investment and I think we will always see it as that and we are excited to move onto another project and since John and I have been together it will be the forth place we will call home.

With each move we have learnt something new about the whole property game and what not to do, especially as each time we have moved we have grown in size and now we will be selling with not only one young child in tow but two!

We had hope to have had the house on the market earlier but along came Baby G as well as the sleep deprivation, extra laundry and nappies everywhere so we gave ourselves a break for a few months and now that he is coming up to a year old and this are calming down we are finally getting back on track with our snagging list and are hoping to have everything spick and span by the end of February.

New tiles being laid in our bathroom

So what do you really need to do to get the house ready for the market?

Well first of all make the best of what you've got and don't leave any rock unturned. If things like the doors or walls need an new coat of paint get it done, if you have messy wiring around the TV area get that neatened up, if the toilet seat is broken get it fixed - just because you have got used to how things are does not mean everyone else will see it that way.

Get rid of the clutter even if this means renting out some short term storage space, you never want to sell a house that appears to be short on space as it will put buyers off, you want to show each room to it's full potential.

Don't ignore the garden, even if you have not done much to it in the time you have lived at your house do make sure it's tidy, clean and the grass is freshly cut as outdoor space needs to be treated in the same way as any room in your home as it adds value to the property and can be a real selling point.

Get your paperwork in order - there is a lot of admin when it comes to selling your home, the buyer will want to see warranties and building regulations for any building work done such as an extension or conservatory, your mortgage advisor will need to see bank statements and all your monthly incomings and out-goings and you will be forever signing documents until you actually exchange but having the basics in place first will save a lot of stress and time.

Most importantly is to dress up your home for viewings, don't rely on the the buyer being able to see the potential - show them the potential and once again make sure any mess, clutter or laundry is out of the way. The small touches really do help so having a fresh bouquet of flowers in the kitchen, open with the curtains to let the natural light shine in and make sure the bathroom is spotless and smells fresh.

All of these things can be pretty hard to do with children in tow so make sure to ask family and friends to help out even if it's just to watch them for an hour or two on a showing day, also take as much time as you need to get the house ready and don't cut corners as this may come back on you at a later stage. Yes it's a stressful time but breath, smile and look forward to the next adventure.

Those photos are stunning. I'd buy that house purely on those photos haha. I imagine selling your home at this time is tricky so all these tips really help. Little touches can make such a big difference.